Join Us or Die
by nikitalm
Summary: Nicki is a young girl who has a very special gift. The Volturi want her to join them. What will happen when she refuses? Yes, the Cullen's are in this story. Post Breaking Dawn.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If you read this and like it (yeah right) please review. If you read this and don't like it (probably) please review.**

Chapter 1

My life use to be completely normal. Well, except for the fact that I could hypnotize people by just saying something to them. But I had never really seen that as abnormal, it was just… me. To other people, it just looked like I was a really persuasive person. I was the only one who knew any different.

But then, about a week ago, I was approached by a very attractive, terrifying man, or at least I thought he was a man, in an alley outside of my home. He was accompanied by two others. They were all wearing long grey cloaks. He told me that he knew what I could do and that if I didn't come with him, he would expose me. I know what you're thinking. Why didn't I just use my hypnotizing power to get away from him? Believe me, I tried. It didn't seem to work on him, or his friends.

I tried to run but, when I got to the end of the alley they were already there, waiting for me. I was very afraid. I didn't know who they were or what they wanted. They dragged me away, down another alley and into a storm drain. They ran with the quickest speed. It was impossible. I thought I was hallucinating.

We arrived in a large circular room. There were all these people with red eyes and pale skin. I saw them bring in another person, a young girl no older than 16. They put her in front of what seemed to be their leader. He had the palest skin of all and his hair was snow white. Then he bent over her neck. She thrashed and screamed but there was nothing she could do. He was too strong for her. Then it was over. Her body hung limp in his arms.

Finally, I put together the pieces. I was going to be another snack. I tried to run again. That was stupid and pointless. The biggest one caught me and I tried to get away but, again, it was pointless. Then, something happened that I did not expect at all. Their leader introduced his self to me. He said that his name was Aro. He explained to me what I had just witnessed. He said that the easiest way to tell me would be to show me. Then, he explained to me what they all were doing here.

Apparently, they were part of a group of vampires called the Volturi. They saw what I could do and wanted to offer me a place with them. I was still marveling over the fact that vampires were real so it surprised me when I understood just what he was asking me to do. I immediately said, "No." I refused to be a part of that. I didn't want to kill people, I didn't want immortality, I didn't want any of it. That was stupid of me.

Then I heard Aro say one word. The worst word I have ever heard, the one that I never want to hear again. Aro said, "Jane?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

_Then I heard Aro say one word. The worst word I have ever heard, the one that I never want to hear again. Aro said, "Jane?"_

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I fell to the floor as I was no longer able to think about anything stupid like standing when I was in so much pain. I had no idea what was happening to me. I figured they had decided to kill me. But it happened so quickly with the other girl. This lasted forever. I was on the floor writhing in agony. I suddenly realized that I was screaming.

Then abruptly, it stopped. My body relaxed against the cold stone floor. I was too weak to stand or even move. Then Aro said, "Would you like to reconsider your answer?" I spat the word out between gasps for air. "No." Then it started all over again.

It went on and on forever. Each time, Aro would ask me to join him. Each time I refused. It felt like an endless circle.

They moved me to another room. Only Aro and Jane were here with me. I guess they needed the bigger room for more important issues. It didn't matter to me where I was being tortured. I was just grateful that Jane had to stop for the too brief period of time it took to move me. I guess they hadn't expected me to hold out this long. I hadn't expected to hold out this long.

So now here I am, on the floor, unable to move. They had starved and tortured me for nearly a week. I think it was a week. It may have been longer. They had to stop when the big one came in and told Aro that he had a visitor. Of course Jane was reluctant to leave. She enjoyed this way too much. The smile on her face when I was writhing was sickening. But, Aro had insisted.

I didn't hear the door open or the footsteps coming near me, but what I did hear was even worse. "Wake up sleeping beauty," a high soprano voice said. And then for the hundredth time, it hit me again. I never could get even a little bit use to it. Each time was just as bad as the first.

Then she stopped. Why? That was much shorter than usual. Not that I was mad about that. Maybe they were going to let me go. No, I doubted that. Then Aro spoke. "This is your last chance. Join us or die." That wasn't a hard decision to make. "No." I said with a very final tone.

"Go ahead, take her. I have no use for her." Aro said. What? Who was taking me? Where were they taking me to? I felt cool hands move under my legs and back, and pull me into the air.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"_Go ahead, take her. I have no use for her." Aro said. What? Who was taking me? Where were they taking me to? I felt cool hands move under my legs and back, and pull me into the air. _

I was cradled against somebody's chest. They were being very gentle with me. Not at all like the Volturi had been. Who was this? I finally gathered the strength to open my eyes. I saw a beautiful face, golden eyes, and reddish brown hair. Could this be a vampire? The only difference between him and the others I had seen was the eyes.

I didn't realize I had closed my eyes again. I didn't feel like opening them. I felt a mattress give way beneath me. Where was I? I heard soft beautiful voices speaking to each other. I didn't understand what they were talking about. There were four of them but that was all I could figure out. Finally, I woke up completely. I couldn't move anything. I was much too weak for that. So I just stared at the ceiling.

After a while, I noticed that there was an IV in my wrist. But I wasn't in a hospital. I was in a hotel room. I knew that. That was the only thing I did know. I heard light knock on the door. Then a high soprano voice said, "Can I come in?" Fear shot through me. What were they doing? Fixing me up just so that they could almost kill me again? I couldn't find my voice to answer. The door slowly slid open. Relief washed through me when I saw who it was. It wasn't Jane. That was all that mattered to me.

"Alice, you almost gave her a heart attack. She thought you were someone else. Your voices do sound a lot alike to a human," a boy's voice called from the other room.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." The girl said in a cautious voice.

The relief only lasted a few seconds because I realized that I still had plenty of reasons to be afraid. A boy walked in behind the girl, the same one that was carrying me before. "It's okay, we won't hurt you." How did he know what I was thinking? Of course, it was just a lucky guess. "No it wasn't," he murmured. "Sorry."

"Oh. Its fine, I guess. Who are you?"

"We came to help you."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"We are a coven. Like the Volturi but also very different. I saw you in a vision. I knew that you needed our help, so we came. Our timing was a little bad. I'm really sorry about that. We came much too late," the girl said to me.

The boy continued where she left off. "I'm Edward and this is Alice. Our father, Carlisle, is in the other room along with my wife, Bella. There are more of us but we knew that we would only need the four of us."

"We live in America. I told you before that we are different from the Volturi. That is because we don't kill humans," Alice told me.

"How?" I asked, a little confused.

"We only hunt animals," she said with a smile.

"Oh."

"But you see, we have a bit of a dilemma."

"What is that?" I asked.

"The Volturi let us take you, on one condition," she said in a weary voice. "We have to turn you into a vampire. It's against the rules for a human to know about our existence. So we either have to turn you . . . or kill you."

"I see."

This was a big problem. I didn't really want to be a vampire, but they had offered me a different way of life to consider and I would rather not die if it wasn't necessary.

"Okay," I said in a very decisive tone. I could do this. I could be a vampire and not kill people. "When?"

"As soon as possible," Edward said.

"Here?"

"No. We need to get you into a condition that is safe for an airplane. Then we will take you back to Washington," he said.

"Okay," I mumbled sadly.

"I'm sorry it has to be like this. I really am. I hate forcing this decision on you like this."

"It's not your fault. I would rather have this than the alternative. Rather be here than still in that horrible little room," I said.

He flinched at the mental images he got from me. "Sorry," I said, "I forgot."

"No. I'm sorry. We should have gotten here sooner. We'll let you rest," he said.

They left. It didn't take me long to fall asleep. I was so tired. They hadn't let me sleep at all for a week. No food, no water. It was horrible. I shouldn't have fallen asleep thinking about that. It wasn't a smart move.

I woke up with a scream. Alice was already there. She held me until I calmed down and told me to take deep breaths. Even though she was a complete stranger, I still felt comforted.

"I didn't realize how much they messed you up," she said.

"Neither. Did. I." I said between deep breaths.

"I don't want to go back to sleep."

"Carlisle can give you something. You won't have dreams. It'll knock you out cold," she offered.

"That sounds good," I said.

"He heard us. He's getting something right now," she said.

"Okay."

Carlisle came in, brandishing a syringe. "This should help," he said with a smile. He pulled my arm and turned it over on the bed. I could feel it as soon as he put the needle in. It worked fast.

"Thank you," I managed to say in a drowsy voice before my eyes closed completely. As soon as they did, I was out and I was grateful.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

It took another week but finally I was stable enough to ride on an airplane. I still looked terrible but that couldn't be helped. And every time I fell asleep, I woke up screaming just like the first time. You would think I would get use to something like that but I just couldn't. Every time I closed my eyes I saw that sickening smile and I felt that pain. I couldn't believe that I could still remember exactly how it felt.

I asked Carlisle one day, why my gift didn't work on any of them. He said it was because I wasn't strong enough yet. He theorized that once I was a vampire my gift would be even stronger and I would be able to use it on other vampires. I had a feeling that it wouldn't help my chances against the Volturi if they decided to change their mind about me. There were way too many of them. There was no way I would be able to control all of them.

We were on the plane when I fell asleep. Again, it wasn't a good idea to fall asleep thinking about something so unpleasant. Luckily, we were the only ones in first class when I woke up with a loud scream. Alice calmed me down, just like always. She must have picked some things up from Jasper. I hadn't met him yet but maybe he and Alice were like Edward and Bella. Bella couldn't read minds but she could always seem to know what Edward was thinking. It was like they were physically connected somehow. Maybe Alice and Jasper were the same way.

"Sorry," she said quietly to me with a sad face, "I shouldn't have let you fall asleep."

"It's not your fault," I said quietly. "You didn't know."

"Didn't I," Alice laughed and turned to face forward in her seat.

"Yeah," I laughed too, "I guess you did." "So are we almost there?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes. It'll be about another half hour. Not too long," she replied.

"Hey, don't let me fall asleep again."

She looked very sad at my words. "I won't she said." Then she gave me a hug.

When we arrived, Jasper, Esme, Emmett, and Rosalie, I assumed, were waiting for us. Alice and Jasper ran to each other as soon as they spotted one another. Carlisle and Esme were slightly more elegant about their reunion.

They took me back to their house. It was huge. Edward just laughed at my reaction.

When we were on the plane, we had decided that the conversion should take place as soon as we arrived at the Cullen's house. I didn't mind. It wouldn't help matters much to try and postpone it.

"At first," Carlisle said, "it will be hard. No matter how much you don't want to kill humans now, you will still be very tempted."

"Bella makes it look really easy," I pointed out.

"Yeah, but Bella's a freak," Emmett added nudging Bella with his elbow.

Edward didn't like that. A low growl ripped from his chest. It was a stupid reaction on my part but I couldn't help it. That reminded me too much of a very different group of vampires. Fear strangled me. I froze. Jasper and Edward knew immediately what was wrong with me. Edward began apologizing while Jasper and Alice worked to slow my racing heart.

That was it. I hated feeling weak and afraid. I told Carlisle that I was ready right now. He looked shocked but then Edward explained to him my sudden change of heart. He took me upstairs. Alice came too. She was constantly watching my every reaction, always worried that something was going to send me over the edge. I was physically stable but my mental stability was a whole other issue. We went into a room that they had prepared for this special occasion. Right. Special.

Carlisle said that he was going to take much more blood than necessary. He said that it would be easier for me if I were weak for at least a little while.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

"No. Let's do it," I said casually.

I stood perfectly still. He came towards me then put one hand on the small of my back and one on the other side of my neck. He pulled my head in the other direction, exposing my neck oh his side. Then he bit. I screamed and thrashed against him even though I knew it would do no good. I was getting weaker and weaker. I couldn't stand anymore but that didn't matter. Carlisle could easily support my body weight. I drooped over in his arms. He laid me down on the bed and I let out a cry of pain. It hurt so much to move but I couldn't help the writhing. It was a natural reaction. My body was trying to move away from the pain. The stupid thing didn't know that it wasn't possible.

I thought that nothing could compare to what Jane had done to me. I was so wrong. This was a thousand times worse. I would rather have her here torturing me than have to feel this. It was everything. There was no one word to describe it. A thousand words couldn't even describe it. Alice held my hand the whole time. I didn't have to worry about hurting her. Not that I would have. I didn't care about anything or anyone other than myself for those 3 days. 3 days is so little time but I would still rather be with Jane for 10 years than feel the venom running through my veins for 3 days.

Carlisle left me with Alice. He must have known that I would never notice. On the third day, I felt something change. It was worse. All the burning focused into my heart. I could feel how fast it was beating. It sounded like a drum roll. That seemed appropriate. I was almost unconscious at that point. I couldn't move anymore. I was much too weak. I was so sick of feeling that way. Weak. That word was so repulsive because that was all I had felt like for the past 3 weeks. Weak. That was all about to change.

My eyes were completely closed. My body was limp on the bed. Thump, thump, thump. My heart beat slowly three times, and then once more. Thump.

My eyes snapped open. I was already overwhelmed in that fraction of a second. The world looked so different through these eyes. I saw Jasper and Emmett standing in the doorway. They were in front of the others. Oh, I get it. They told me that I would be much stronger than the rest of them.

"Don't be offended," Bella said from behind them. "They did that to me too."

Offended? I was stronger than all of them; no longer weak and helpless. They knew it too. That's why they protected the others from me. I liked that. Someone needed protection from me. The strongest people I had ever known needed protection from me. Nice.

"Actually," Edward said with a laugh, "she likes it."

"Hey," I shouted at him playfully. "You're not supposed to tell them. Now I have lost the element of surprise," I added jokingly. Jasper didn't think that was very funny. Edward and Emmett did though. They thought it was really funny.

"You wanna go?" I asked Jasper. He didn't seem like he was in a joking mood. "Come on let's take this outside." They were all laughing by now.

They took me hunting. It was fun. I liked this. I couldn't be around humans for a while though. Jacob had taken Nessie to La Push so that they would be safe from me for a while. Later on, we watched a movie. It was ridiculous. We watched Finding Nemo. They said that watching a boring movie would help me to work on my concentration. I wasn't too into it until the part where they meet the sharks. They started talking about fish are friends not food. I started laughing. Then the one fish started bleeding and the shark went all crazy on it. By then I was literally rolling on the floor. Alice obviously thought that I had finally snapped because she truly looked concerned. Then she had a vision and started laughing too. Only Alice and Edward understood what I was laughing about since I couldn't calm down enough to get the words out. He also thought it was pretty funny. Edward decided to let me explain so I stood up in front of all of them and calmly recited the words, "Humans are friends, not food." That was all I could manage with a straight face. The rest of them started laughing at this too. It was a pretty good first day.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

I couldn't have nightmares anymore. That was due to the amazing fact that I didn't sleep at all. When I was human I use to take those stupid quizzes that ask you questions like, "what is your favorite thing about yourself?," or, "what is one of your flaws?" My answer to that last one was always, "being a normal human being, I have to put up with the time consuming ordeal called sleep." Seriously, there are 24 hours in a day and we waste at least 8 on them sleeping. Well other people did. I never did get more than 3 hours of sleep but no one else was awake so I couldn't do anything but lie there.

I can't believe I didn't see all of the benefits to being a vampire before. I'll admit that my mind was a little bit occupied with the part where I start slaughtering innocent people. I didn't know that there was another option like this.

Today I went to play baseball with the Cullens. I would have made the teams uneven but Esme was the umpire. I can see why she insisted on that. Emmett, Edward, and Jasper are big cheaters and fighters. At one point they got into a fight over who got Rose out. It was so ridiculous. They were on the same team.

Jasper is always hovering. Bella told me not to worry. She said he did that to her too. I wouldn't mind but it makes me feel like I've already done something wrong. I'm still not allowed to be around Nessie and Jacob, but next week, I will see them for the first time since my transformation. It should be an interesting experience. It is a good thing though because it makes me feel bad that they have to stay away because of me. They should have kicked me out instead. Oh well. I won't be keeping them apart much longer.

Also, with the sleeping thing (sorry I keep going all over the place, it's my newborn mind), I can't have nightmares anymore. It doesn't matter though. I'm always worried that they are going to come back for me. Only, now I don't just have to worry about myself. I probably drive Edward and Jasper crazy with this worrying all the time, but I just can't help it.

Alice has looked extra worried about me lately. I feel like she is keeping something from me. I don't know. I guess she will tell me when she wants to.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey maligurl18. I know that you subscribed to get alerts for this story. Review or I'm not posting the next chapter. :P**

Chapter 7

Alice finally told me. She had been worried about me lately. I guess I understand why. The Volturi are coming. They changed their mind about me. They are coming for me. The Cullens will fight for me. I'm not sure if I want them to. I'm not worth it. They should just let the Volturi take me. That would make it easier. I will just let them take me. I'll tell the Cullens not to worry about me. I'll be fine. That is the only option I have. I can join the Volturi, or let the Cullens die for me.

For the whole week I was scared stiff. I didn't go outside. I just stayed shut up in the house. I was afraid they would catch me in the woods. I was afraid Alice wouldn't see it coming. I had already made up my mind but I wanted to delay it as much as possible. Then it came. The day they would show up. The day I would leave with them. Edward didn't know that I was planning to surrender. I was very careful not to think about it when I was around him.

We were waiting in the clearing when Edward and Alice simultaneously yelled, "No!" Then Edward and Alice ran toward me so fast. They both caught my arms and held me back. They had figured it out. I guess Alice didn't see it until then because I hadn't made up my mind until then. I would have been able to shake them off easily but by then Emmette and Jasper were restraining me too. I was trying to get away from them. Carlisle stepped in front of me and looked me in the eyes.

"Edward?" he said in a calm voice.

"She was going to run to them and surrender," he said in an outraged voice.

"Just let me go!" I said furiously.

"No. We can't do that. Do you know what they will do to you if you join them?"

"No," I said in a defeated voice. I would have kept trying but I knew it was pointless. Then I had a lightbulb.

"Carlisle? Let me go. It's the best way. It's the only way things can work," I said in a calm soothing voice.

"Okay," he said, his face suddenly blank.

"YES!!!" I yelled, not holding back any of my enthusiasm.

"Why are you happy?" Edward asked incredulously.

"Do you know what this means?" I asked with excitement.

"Oh," Edward said.

"Exactly! But I can't be sure that Jane won't react if I use it on Aro," I said thoughtfully.

"I can take care of that," Bella said proudly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

We waited in the clearing as the Volturi neared. We got in formation just as they passed the last line of trees to join us in the clearing. I had a great plan but I wasn't sure it was going to work.

As soon as Aro began to speak I stepped out in front. "Nicki!" He said in mock excitement, "We are all so glad to see you. It's been too long."

"Not long enough," I replied to Aro.

"That wasn't very polite. Jane?" Aro said. I cringed waiting for the pain that was sure to come. But it never did. I looked up at Jane with a triumphant smile only to see her extremely angry and indignant expression.

"Sorry Jane." I said with a smirk. It had been hard for me to say her name out loud until then. At that moment I was consumed by my anger and hatred towards all of them and I forgot all about my "plan" and could remember nothing but revenge.

"All of you stay where you are." I said, making eye contact with every single one of the guard and mentally willing them to obey my command. Then I placed my eyes on Jane and said "Guess your gift doesn't work on yourself does it?" I said unhappily. "I suppose I'll just have to go for the next best thing." So I asked her to do something that I knew would hurt her. "Use your gift on Alec," I commanded and she obeyed.

As she turned to him she looked as if she was being compelled by a puppet master and she was fighting it every step of the way. Then as her eyes connected with Alec's he fell to the ground screaming and writhing. I knew I should have felt something but all I felt was satisfaction at getting my revenge as I stared at the two of them with cold emotionless eyes. After about 5 minutes of watching Alec scream I guess Carlisle couldn't take it anymore. He was too compassionate.

"Nicki." I heard a soft concerned voice from behind me, Carlisle. I knew he wanted me to stop Jane but I wasn't so ready for it to end yet.

"Jane. Stop," I said and abruptly Alec's screaming and writhing stopped. I wasn't satisfied like I should be so I commanded Jane to use her gift on Aro. I watched for another few minutes before Alice came up behind me and placed a hand around my left arm.

"Please stop her," Alice pleaded. And right then my heart was broken. I stopped Jane and then fell to my knees and sobbed without tears.

"Leave," I commanded all of the Volturi. "Never come back here."


	9. Chapter 9

As the Volturi turned to leave I continued to sob. I felt like someone was driving a stake through my chest even though I knew that to be impossible and I literally had to be carried back to the house. When we arrived I was deposited on my bed and I crawled under my blankets. By this time my crying had stopped and I had become quite catatonic. The Cullens gathered around me and tried to console me but it just wasn't working. I felt like I had lost part of myself; like all the good parts had gone away and all that was left was this cold, unfeeling thing. I tried to explain this to the Cullens; to put my feelings into words.

"The fact that you feel this way about being so cold earlier proves that you're still you," Carlisle tried to explain but I just didn't understand that at the time. This was when I began to plan my escape from the miserable existence I knew I would experience if I allowed myself to. Different things began running through my head. Jumping off a cliff, jumping into a wood chipper, running in front of an eighteen wheeler truck.

Alice gasped as all of these possibilities flashed in her mind. "We wont let you do those things, besides, none of them would work."

"If I wanted to, you couldn't stop me," I replied, my voice so devoid of everything that I barely recognized it as my own.

Then it occurred to me. If I returned to the Volturi they would kill me wouldn't they. It's what they came here for to begin with.

"No! HOLD HER!" Alice shouted as I jumped towards the window. "Don't look her in the eye!" she commanded. This was a problem. I couldn't control them if I couldn't look them in the eye.

(AN: In my version of the Twilight universe, silver burns the vampires. Mostly because it's very convenient at the moment.) "Nooo! Let me go!," I yelled as loud as I could.

"Get the chains," someone yelled.

"Chains won't hold me!" I yelled back to no one in particular as I was still struggling to get free.

"Silver chains will," Alice said with a grimace that told me this wouldn't be pleasant. That was when my efforts quadrupled. I didn't like where this was going at all. If it could, my heart would have been beating out of my chest. Then Edward returned with the chains in hand. I couldn't see them but I could hear them. Almost immediately I was slammed on to the bed. Two sets of chains were passed under the bed and the ends of one set were fastened around my wrists with a whispered, "I'm so sorry." Immediately I began to feel the burning as the skin around my wrists, which I had previously thought to be indestructible, began to sizzle and then practically boil. A gut wrenching scream escaped my lips. I barely noticed as they slipped the other set of chains around my ankles.

Then, as they began to strap me to the bed by wrapping a third set of chains around my torso and the bed, I began to plead with them to let me go. I promised that I wouldn't try to go to the Volturi but Carlisle knew better than to believe me without pause. He asked Alice if I was telling the truth. She answered him with a shattered visage and a weak "no." As they filed out of the room one by one the each muttered some sort of apology but I was too preoccupied with the staggering amount of pain I was feeling.

As I was left alone in the room I lost all hope. I began to feel the effects of the silver around my torso. Though it couldn't burn me through my clothing, it was sapping my strength and causing a sharp pain radiating through my body. With another cry I realized that this pain could be never ending, I couldn't even seek some momentary refuge in unconsciousness.

Hearing her screams as we left the room was heartbreaking. I could barely stand. Jasper had to support most of my weight as we made our way down the stairs and into the sitting room. We were all deadly silent as we took our seats. Obviously the fact that we could all still hear her pleas did not help the situation. We sat there for a few moments, each of us lost in our own private thoughts until I felt Jasper shift beside me. I looked to find him doubled over clutching his chest. I hurriedly knelt down in front of him and placed a hand under his chin, pulling his head up so that I could see his face. By this point I didn't think my heart could break anymore but the sight that met my eyes was enough to shatter it into a million more pieces. Jasper's face was a picture of pure anguish and no one had to ask why. We all knew that, not only was he feeling just his own sadness but he was feeling sadness coming from all of us. Then we all realized what had caused this change in Jasper as we heard the noises coming from Nicki's room change. She began to yell, directly at us because she knew we were listening, her words filled with more anger and hatred than I had ever experienced.

"You're no better than them. You're just the same; monsters, every one of you. Evil. You're all going to HELL! ALL OF YOOOU!"

As she screamed the last word a strangled cry escaped Jasper's huddled form. At that moment I knew that what he was feeling was worse than anything he had ever felt before because I had never seen him lose so much control.

"Come on Jazz," I whispered into his ear as I helped him to stand. We took a few small steps towards the stairs before he began whimpering and his knees buckled completely.


End file.
